Decisions and Mistakes

Time to break down some play last night, since I have very little to show for it.

Live

My club's structure for the regular live tournaments go something like this:

4000 chips
15 min blinds
25-50
50-100
100-200
200-400
300-600
etc.

Action is very loose pre-flop, and still fairly loose on the flop. I try to stay out of pots early unless I have a strong drawing hand, strong ace, or decent pair.

- Won an early hand with AQo. Flop came Q7x, two diamonds. Ends up HU against a likeable regular who talks a lot. I bet around 2/3 of the pot and he calls. I put him on the draw. 7 on the turn and he states "I don't like that 7." I check, he checks. Flop comes a brick, I check, he bets 1/4 of the pot and I call. Busted draw for him.

- I then pretty much folded for 45 min as I blind back down to near a starting stack. I loosen up as blinds climb and lose some chips. Then I find AQo again and call a < 3x BB bet preflop. One other caller. Flop comes 797, two spades (I have the ace). Bettor goes all-in and I tank. I can't see this particular guy having anything more than an underpair. I could be against AK. He's the only guy at the table I have covered. I call. He flips over ATo and I'm ahead. Spade on the turn, Ts on the river creates the "yes! no!" reaction as it sinks in that I just 4-flushed him.

- I raise with a couple decent hands and get blinds. I'm amazed that people actually realized how tightly I'd been playing to this point.

- Post-break I find 77 and a small stack. I raise 3x the BB from the cutoff and get called by the BB after he deliberates for not too long. Flop comes J9J. BB bets 1/2 the pot and I'm either pushing or folding. I don't put him on the J or 9. I think he's making a move with an ace. I push for not even a minraise and he calls... flipping over AA. Damn. No improvement for me and I'm done. Well, I was right about him not hitting the flop and having an ace...

Mookie

- One hand of note. I have pocket 9's on the button. There's a standard raise to 180 before me and I call. Smizmiatch (really, Surly Poker Gnome is better) is in the SB and he pops it to 3x the bet, leaving 500 chips behind. I know the Gnome. I've played him enough times to know he's got SOMETHING here. I'm actually fairly sure I'm beat. Original raiser folds like a Gap employee. I decide to gambool and call. I don't recall the flop exactly, but I think it was something like J86. Gnome checks and I reverse-Hoy him for 499. He pushes his last chip and I call... and he flips over aces. I had him fairly well covered and was still alive.

- I went out against the Gnome when I baited with cowboys to get all-in preflop against his AJ. A on the flop, and then he goes and straightens out for fun (K on the river for the "NOW you come" reaction from me).

Dookie

- I still loves me some PLO. I didn't pay nearly enough attention though and gave away too many chips. My big hole in this one was ignoring position, which is SO important in Omaha. I don't recall any hands in particular, but I went out 10th.

Made a few bucks in the blogger cash game to even out the night. It's easy to do with a boat and a set as the only two hands you get to the turn with.

Anyway. Congrats to wwonka for taking down the Mookie. I also want to point out the Goat's solid run of late. Cashes in both big games, 4th last night. If he keeps it up, he'll earn his own WSOP seat from cash alone. Where'd the funnyman learn to play poker so good?

Bayne took the Dookie, and was doing alright in the cash game too. Congrats.

And of course LJ keeps rolling, with a good finish in the $64k last night. No final table this time, but I imagine the payout wasn't terrible.

Riverchasers tonight (I never know if I should link to Al or Riggs). I believe we're in a non-NL week, but I have no idea what the game is.